Tokyo
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Tokyo Racecourse, where the featured event is the second leg of the Japanese Filly Triple Crown, the G1 Yushun Himba over 2400 meters: Sunday, May 22, 2022 2nd-TOK, ¥9,900,000 ($77k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m CHAMP DE MARS (JPN) (c, 3, Arrogate--Pressurizing,...
Juvenile filly champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) punched her ticket to this fall's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf with a victory in Sunday's G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo Racecourse. The top three finishers in Sunday's race also earned automatic berths in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp as well as the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois. Breaking alertly from stall 5, the fourth betting choice settled in along the inside in a close-up fourth before moving slightly outward for the stretch run. Emerging from the pack passing the...
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses. Featured on the 12-race program at headquarters is an intriguing renewal of the G1 Victoria Mile for female turfers, which has drawn the likes of fan-favorite Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), G3 1351 Turf Sprint heroine Songline (Jpn)...
Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn) recorded a career-high win when taking the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Sunday. Unhurried in the early going exiting after exiting the widest stall, the colt settled in mid-division as the leaders slugged it out up front. Inching closer approaching the home turn, he reeled in late-leader and favorite Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn} in the stretch, drew even at the 100-meter marker and held off the late-closing Matenro Orion (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) by a neck with Kawakita Reverie (Jpn) (Drefong) a...
Narrowly leading the market for the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on Sunday is 4-1 shot Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). A winner of the G3 Niigata Nisai S. and G2 Daily Hai Nisai S. at two, the relative of GI Pacific Classic hero Go Between (Point Given) lost his unbeaten tag when second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. to Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) last December and makes his 3-year-old bow in this competitive contest from stall four. "He ran solo in his last piece...
Café Pharoah (American Pharoah) returned to the winner's circle for the first time since landing the 2021 G1 February S. in the 2022 version, and became the second horse to win two editions after Copany Rickey (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) in 2014/15. A "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November, the 1600-metre race saw the Noryuki Hori-trained runner draw off by 2 ½ lengths from T M South Dan (Jpn) (South Vigorous), with the popular white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) ran third, another half-length back....
Cleverly named Godolphin homebred Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) shot to the head of the leaderboard on the 'Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby' with a determined 3/4-length defeat of Geraldo Barows (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) in Sunday's Listed Hyacinth S. going a one-turn mile at Tokyo Racecourse. American-bred Sea Vixen (Into Mischief), the only filly in the field of 14, was a brave third. Ridden forward by Breeders' Cup-winning jockey Yuga Kawada, Combustion raced handy to a good pace set by Sea Vixen and was glued to the fence as the...
Tokyo Racecourse plays host to the Listed Hyacinth S. Sunday afternoon, a one-mile race around a single left-handed bend that offers a total of 51 (30-12-6-3) as the third of four events that comprise the 'Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.' Of the 13 males and one filly signed on for the Hyacinth, fully eight are last-out winners, but favoritism could fall to Godolphin's Combustion (Jpn) (Discreet Cat). A debut winner going seven furlongs at Toyko in late June, the homebred followed up with an allowance score at Chukyo and...
Twelve months ago, Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) posted an authoritative success in the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai en route to a victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and ultimately Japanese Horse of the Year honours. While it remains to be seen whether Danox Inc.'s Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) can ascend to similar heights, the bay colt stamped himself as one to watch with a 1 1/2-length defeat of narrowly favoured Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) in Sunday's 1800-metre test at Tokyo. The third betting choice at...
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin, Kokura and Tokyo Racecourses. Sunday's group-level action at Tokyo includes the G3 Kyodo News Hai featuring 3-year-old colts out Canadian Horse of the Year Lexie Lou (Sligo Bay {Ire}) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf runner-up Coasted (Tizway),...
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo and Chukyo Racecourses, the second of which hosts the oft-productive G3 Kisaragi Sho for the classic crop of 2022: Saturday, February 5, 2022 3rd-CKO, ¥9,900,000 ($86k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m CHARITABLE THOUGHT (c, 3, Nyquist--Relaxing Green, by Formal Gold) finished...
Prominent North American owner/breeder Charles Fipke was represented by his first winner in Japan when the newly turned 3-year-old filly Kana Tape (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ran out an impressive three-length winner of a newcomers' event going 1800 meters on turf at Tokyo Racecourse Sunday afternoon. Sent off the narrow second favorite at odds of 3-2, the bay filly jumped well from gate two for top rider Takeshi Yokoyama and tracked pacesetting Mozu Cleopatra (Jpn) (American Pharoah) from close up in second. Felt for as the field entered the final...